A ribbon cutting to celebrate a brand-new building on campus is an exciting but fleeting moment. At a typical event, a purple ribbon is cut and flutters to the ground, and a crowd applauds. However, the impact of the new building stretches on for many years to come. It is a new gathering space, a new home for students on campus, and a long-lasting addition to a spot that we love full well. 

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, K-State hosted a virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 20 for the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center. The center will be open to students at the beginning of the spring semester.

The opening of K-State's new Morris Family Multicultural Student Center is the culmination of a long-term dream. Located east of the K-State Student Union, the center is designed to offer people of all cultures, backgrounds and identities a place to explore their cultural origins, engage in meaningful cross-cultural interactions and broaden perspectives.

"The building itself is a symbol of belonging to the diverse community on campus," said Rachel "Annie" Cortes, senior in elementary education and president of the Asian American Student Union. "I cannot even begin to imagine its impact once we begin holding events, having meetings, sharing our cultures, and overall leaving our mark here at Kansas State University that will be visible for generations to come. I really appreciate the thought that was put into what would normally be overlooked, such as ensuring as much natural light as possible. One major feature that stood out to me was the efficient use of space with every area having its purpose. It is clear that the building was built with the students' wants and needs in mind."

The nearly 13,000-square-foot, three-story, free-standing building will have entrances off Mid-Campus Drive and inside the Student Union. The $6.4 million multicultural student center was privately funded in partnership with the Kansas State University Foundation.

The center is home to more than 40 multicultural student organizations and provides students and student organizations with collaboration spaces, meeting rooms, prayer and meditation spaces, and a practice performance room. A community kitchen is a signature feature, bringing diverse people together to celebrate their rich history, heritage and traditions surrounding cooking and culture.

“This center is to be a bridge to bring people together and not to break them apart,” said Jim Bob Morris, former K-State student and lead donor for the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center. “There are some major inequalities out there where people have to jump over major hurdles. We want to bring those hurdles down and help those people be successful by building a bridge between their hopes and desires and their reality, which they can then choose to cross over.”

Jessica Elmore '06, '15, the K-State Alumni Association’s associate director of diversity programs, is excited by the possibilities offered by the new Morris Family Multicultural Student Center.

“Since the 1960s, K-Staters who actively participate in the rich multicultural community at Kansas State have expressed the need for a multicultural student center,” Elmore said. “On Nov. 20, a dream was realized for a generation of K-Staters. As an alum and an individual who is a part of the Alumni Association team, I know that we have alumni all over the world who cherish the lessons learned and the experiences gained while attending Kansas State University. Alumni frequently mention they were able to grow and learn about themselves, and embrace and learn more about their culture and other cultures through the relationships built with various communities.

“I see the Morris Family Multicultural Student Center being a convener destination, where the support and elevation of culture is at the center of all its programming. The Alumni Association looks forward to future partnerships and opportunities to uplift the value of culture and connect alumni with the history, experiences and students that serve as the foundation of Kansas State’s multicultural community.”

Get a sneak peek at the new center:

When Danielle ’11 and Dave Tegtmeier looked out over the rolling hills on a plot of land outside of Manhattan that would eventually become their new winery, they saw not empty ground, but possibility. 

The former K-State students and Kansas natives dreamed of transforming their love for wine into a business, which they decided to call Liquid Art Winery. And so far, they’ve done a successful job of achieving that dream. 

After purchasing the land in 2014 and planting thousands of grapevines, they opened their event center in April 2016, and a tasting room followed in July 2016. Since then, they’ve continued to expand their product lines and their facilities, growing a loyal customer base.

They are a full-production winery and make all of the products onsite, from growing the grapes, to processing, fermenting and bottling. They distribute their wine and cider to liquor stores and restaurants throughout the state of Kansas.

“We have tremendous community support, in the sense of everyone wants to help where they can,” said Danielle Tegtmeier, who adds that she’s even had patrons volunteer to help pick grapes. “We have been so grateful to be in the community, and to have [Kansas State University], which we work with a lot.”

The Tegtmeiers aren’t just excited about growing their own business — they’re looking for ways to grow the wine industry in Kansas as a whole. Danielle said she and Dave have a philosophy of partnership rather than competition. Although typically Kansas is known for sweeter wines — based on the types of grapes grown here — Dave is working with European grape varieties to manufacture drier wines.

“Growing the wine industry is really important to Dave and I,” Danielle said. “Our goal is to change the perception of Midwest wines. Our goal is to put Kansas on the map for having really good premium wines.”

A hand-crafted glass of wine isn’t the only beverage you can get from Liquid Art — they also produce a line of hard ciders called Dave and Dani Craft Cider with unique flavors such as bourbon-barrel cherry. Danielle said wine and hard cider are a natural pairing, since the process of manufacturing hard cider is actually similar to making wine — just with apples vs. grapes.

Originally, the Tegtmeiers only offered their hard cider on tap at their tasting room as an alternative beverage to wine. However, people kept requesting to have the cider bottled so they could also take it with them and enjoy it at home.

For the Tegtmeiers, growing their business has also brought times of challenge. In 2018, Dave was involved in an accident that left him blind in both eyes. He had to adapt his ways of operating a business, but Danielle was by his side the whole time, as part of the unique relationship they share as spouses and business owners.  

They’re soon planning to launch a new wine brand called 20/20 inspired by the lessons Dave has learned throughout his journey. He wants to be able to share his life challenges in a way people can relate to, such as humor and hope.

Another new project the Tegtmeiers have taken on is a partnership with the K-State Alumni Association called the K-State Alumni Wine Club. Members of the club enjoy quarterly shipments of red, white and rosé wines, featuring custom labels capturing the spirit of K-State.

Danielle said so far the response to the new wine club has been positive, and Liquid Art staff members have enjoyed hand-dipping the wax on the bottles and applying all the labels.

“It was like Christmas Day working at the winery,” she said.

As former K-State students, they’ve also continued their partnership with the university, serving as special guest speakers and even hiring students as interns.

Although the Tegtmeiers have previously lived in California, Washington and Colorado, coming back to Kansas was like coming home.

“This is one of the best communities we have ever been in,” she said. “There’s nothing like the Midwest.”

🍷 Fast facts about Liquid Art Winery 🍷

• Both Tegtmeiers grew up in Kansas, and they met their freshman year at K-State. Danielle originally studied special education, but when she met Dave, his passion for the wine industry inspired her to switch her major to marketing so she could join him in the business. He finished his degree at Fresno State in California.
  
  
• The name “Liquid Art” was inspired by a comment heard at a tasting event about wine being a “liquid art crafted by the vintner’s hand.”
  
  
• The Tegtmeiers were one of the grand prize winners in K-State’s Launch a Business entrepreneurship education program. Read the feature story the Alumni Association wrote about the Tegtmeiers back in 2015!
  
  
• Not sure how to become a wine connoisseur? Danielle Tegtmeier recommends starting with sweeter wines. Your palate will evolve over time to enjoy drier varieties. “Everybody has their own palate,” she said. “If you like it, that’s all that matters.”

Learn more about Liquid Art

Wintertime means it's time for K-State basketball season! If you're planning to cheer on the 'Cats in person this season, here's what you need to know about COVID-19 protocols before you go:

• K-State has developed a plan for 25% capacity inside Bramlage Coliseum with designated reserved seating in a socially-distanced configuration.
  
  
• Guests must wear face coverings over their mouths and noses in order to enter Bramlage Coliseum and should continue wearing them inside the arena.
  
  
• Guests should provide their own face coverings; K-State will not provide face coverings. 
  
  
• Guests with a medical condition, mental health condition, are deaf or hard of hearing or have a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering will be required to wear a face shield as a reasonable modification. K-State will not provide face shields.
  
  
• Children 5 and under are not required to wear a face covering. 
  
  
• To limit points of contact, fans are asked to hold their clear bag and cell phone in front of them at chest level as they enter through the metal detectors. If no alarm is sounded, fans may enter with only a visual inspection of their bag. Any alarm will require secondary screening and bag inspection.
  
  
• Hand-sanitizing stations will be located throughout the stadium, as well as signage to encourage social distancing. 

Learn more

K-State pauses football activities, withdraws from bowl selection

In December, K-State Athletics, in conjunction with university and county medical officials, announced it had paused all football activities following recent COVID-19 test results and contact tracing procedures.

As a result, K-State officials also informed the Big 12 Conference that the school would not be able to field enough players to prepare for and play in a bowl game. By finishing seventh in the Big 12 regular-season standings, the Wildcats were in line to compete in a bowl game.

"It certainly is a bittersweet ending to the season, but playing 10 regular-season games throughout all of this uncertainty was nothing short of a miracle," head coach Chris Klieman said. "I want to thank our players, especially our seniors, for continuing to battle each and every day, no matter what circumstance was put before them. This season was difficult and frustrating, but I think it is also one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I hope we will all learn from it and become better, both as coaches and players, as we head into the offseason."

K-State updates quarantine guidance

K-State has revised its quarantine policy based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who are a close contact or who are traveling or returning to Kansas from a high-risk area must self-quarantine for 10 days without symptoms. The guidance has been updated from the previous 14-day quarantine period.

Individuals who develop symptoms should contact Lafene Health Center or other health care provider and complete a full 14-day quarantine. Testing is recommended for those with symptoms, but not required.

If a negative test result is received during quarantine, the individual must still complete the full quarantine. A negative result would not reduce the total quarantine time to 10 days for those experiencing symptoms or less for those without symptoms. Individuals cannot test out of quarantine.

Learn more

Derby Dining Center will reopen for spring semester

Built in 1965, the dining center was named after reference librarian Grace Derby. It serves the students who live in the residence halls on the east side of campus, including Smurthwaite Scholarship and Leadership House. Derby is home to the beloved annual “Derbsgiving” Thanksgiving dinner, and has hosted numerous prominent chefs over the years through Dining Services’ Culinary Enhancement Workshop series.

The renovations include a new entry on the southeast corner of the building, newly configured community space on the first floor, a new single entrance to the food service area and a new open dining experience on the second floor. Updates to the heating, air conditioning and fire safety systems also were completed.

The Bakery — scheduled to open Feb. 15 — will continue to operate on the first floor with a new customer service counter in addition to the online ordering services popular across campus and throughout the Manhattan community.

Construction will be ongoing in some areas, but residents can expect to enjoy full meal service.

Learn more

K-Staters love to deck the halls with lots of purple pride. This year, the K-State Alumni Association hosted a seasonal decorating contest, asking Wildcats to share how they holiday in a K-State way. 

We loved seeing photos of all your holiday decorations filled with purple pride. We selected one grand-prize winner, along with our regional winners, who received K-State themed prize packages including holiday ornaments and other K-State branded prizes.

See the winning entries below!

Grand prize winner

Submitted by Sondra Sparks

 

Regional Winners

Hale Library is one of the most popular spots on the Manhattan campus — a place for students to study, read, gather and learn. 

However, the services offered by K-State Libraries aren’t just for students — and they also aren’t limited to just people on campus. 

K-State librarians and staff have compiled a wealth of free resources for the benefit of everyone in the community, including K-State alumni and friends. So if you’re looking to learn something new in the new year, why not try out some of these great resources?

START EXPLORING

📚 Want to discover a new book? Try Google Book Search!

Google has a growing collection of books received digitally from publishers or scanned from the shelves of one of its library partners. This is an excellent resource for reading books in the public domain (generally those published before 1922), for reading selections of copyrighted books, and for identifying books about a particular subject.

Search now 

🩺 Have a medical question? Try MedlinePlus!

Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus includes information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources. It contains references to the latest health professional articles, a medical encyclopedia and dictionary, and drug information.

Search now

📜 Ready to dive into some history? Try the National Archives and Records Administration’s Online Public Access!

This database provides online access to millions of records, maps, photos and documents held by the National Archives and Records Administration, the United States’ official record keeper. In addition to famous documents such as the Declaration of Independence, it includes individual military records and naturalization records, letters from public officials, treaties, charters, manifests, diary entries and many other historical artifacts.

Search now

🎹 Want to try some new music or find new artists? Try AllMusic!

This database offers biographies, discographies and album reviews for jazz and popular music — covering 1900 to present day.

Search now

🌍 Eager to explore the world? Try the David Rumsey Map Collection!

This database contains more 100,000 digitized maps and related images. The maps span the 16th through 21st centuries, including maps for all continents, plus data visualizations. It includes atlases, wall maps, globes, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts and a variety of cartographic materials.

Search now

💜 Looking for more K-State info? Try the K-State Libraries' Digital Collection!

K-State Libraries' digital collection enables the preservation of important historical documents while still providing access to the wealth of knowledge they hold. These valuable resources range from books and primary records to photographs and other visual aids.

Search now

Did you know? K-State Alumni Association members have borrowing privileges from Hale Library; Kansas State Polytechnic Library; Math/Physics Library; Paul Weigel Library of Architecture, Planning and Design; and the Veterinary Medical Library. LEARN MORE